Underwater footage of reefs with plenty of rockfish, corals, sponges, and basket stars will be taken during the expedition from March 7 to 14 in the fjords and straits of the central coast of British Columbia.
A submersible camera from the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans equipped with navigational instruments, high-resolution cameras and projectors will capture the goings-on at a depth of 200 metres below the ocean’s surface.
These images will be transmitted by satellite in real time to scientists aboard a Canadian Coast Guard research vessel, as well as to Internet users through a link at the website protectoceans.ca.
Alexandra Cousteau, the granddaughter of famed oceans explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, will also provide narration and host behind-the-scenes videos for the expedition, which was organised by a partnership between the government, coastal First Nations people, and oceans conservation groups.
Building on local First Nations people’s knowledge of the region – having for millennia managed the area’s marine resources that are crucial for their culture – the expedition will focus on sites “where almost no scientific exploration has occurred,” said a statement.
The expedition will also collect data that will help identify ecologically important areas for marine planning, and protecting vulnerable species and habitat in support of Ottawa’s commitment to protect 10% of Canada’s oceans by 2020.